One of the main methodologies of therapy I use as a counselor is known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR. Now, with every evidence based practice there is an underlying theory that informs the mechanics of the practice. The theory seeks to answer “why does this practice work in doing what it says it will do?”.

The theory underneath EMDR is known as the Adaptive Information Processing System, or the AIP. While this theory can seem pretty complex, especially if you do not have background knowledge in brain anatomy or neurobiology, its system operates in all of us. You can understand this system by thinking about food and the way your body uses nutrients for energy and function. When you eat, your body begins to break down everything ingested into a simpler form so that it can be distributed and used by your body. The beneficial nutrients are used by the organs that need them or stored for later use. The food that is not beneficial to your body is eliminated as waste. Your digestive system is responsible for the intricate filtering of all of these nutrients. The AIP in your brain and nervous system operates in a comparable way with the information you are constantly gathering through your senses. 

The functions of the AIP are tied closely with your memories. When we experience any event in life, our senses gather information to be stored as memory in our brain and nervous system. Healthily, the AIP works to use this information adaptively, or in a way that is helpful for you to function. Your memories are stored in places that allow you to recall, or use, them to your benefit because of the way the AIP processes this information.

Think of the first time you try something new, maybe like going hiking. The first night you pitch your tent might be frustrating, confusing, or uncomfortable. Your boots may rub your feet raw depending on how you lace them up or what type of socks you wear. You might notice pressure or pain on your shoulders and back depending on how you strap you pack on. As you naturally make adjustments to each of these things, you notice the difference various changes bring. The next time you engage in any of these activities, you are likely to readjust to the most efficient way more quickly. This can be credited to your AIP.

This processing system is constantly taking in the information you are gathering, sorting through it, and storing it in the most helpful places. At least, this is how the system was designed. 

I believe God designed our brain and created what we call the AIP to help us filter through everything we experience; to sort and store what is helpful and discard what is not helpful. Notice that. God purposefully gave each of us a way, housed in our brains, to function adaptively according to His good purposes. 

Sadly, our bodies and environments do not operate in the ways they were created since sin has plundered our earth. Sin’s effect on everything includes our brain and nervous system. What was designed to be the Adaptive Information Processing System can be hijacked in its function and mechanics. When this happens, our brains begin to store information in a way that is maladaptive. Maladaptive processing happens when we experience something overwhelming or traumatic.

Maladaptive memories can get “stuck” in their state specific forms, when they are not linked to adaptive information. When these memories are recalled, they are remembered in the same state in which they were originally stored. These memories, being stored in isolation, lack connection to other information that makes them helpful. This means you might experience the same sensations, emotions, and thoughts you did at the time of the original event. That information was not processed in a way that was beneficial to your functioning, it was remembered as harmful. 

The theory of the AIP states that maladaptive, or unprocessed, memories are the basis of pathology. Everyone experiences triggers that cause certain bodily reactions, thoughts, or feelings based on the events of their story. Symptoms that are experienced are understood to be manifestations of the improper storage of maladaptive memories. On the other hand, adaptive memories are the basis of health as they are processed and stored beneficially. 

 We all have experiences that are overwhelming. Many people have suffered from traumatic experiences that have distorted these very functions in their brain. However, there is hope. What God designed as perfect, that which sin has tainted, God has also provided ways for restoration and healing. Sometimes our brain is resilient enough to resolve the improper processing of memories without any intervention. 

Sometimes a person might experience something that is severe enough that the brain needs additional help in strengthening its resilience. We can also see God’s loving hand here in the way that he offers us wisdom and skills to aid in this process. There are forms of therapy that do just this. As a counselor, I am able to directly intervene in someone’s story and walk with them in ways that retrain or strengthen their brain to operate in the way God designed it to. By offering EMDR therapy to clients, we tap into the mechanisms that are already present in your very biology to help you process information in a manner that is adaptive and benefits your overall person.

*Information about the AIP system found in this blog comes from the EMDR Training Manual produced by the EMDR Support Network, ​​13516 Andresen Street Omaha, NE 68145-0933*